The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-08-13
BILL NYE ON THE BoB-TAIL CAR.
Some of the Experiences Gained by Travel OF
That Interesting Vehicle.

Some of the Experiences Gained by Travel on
That Interesting Vehicle.
New York World
No. there is no need that we should spend the
catalogue of hot-footed insects and the dry and
squirtless fountains that Turk in the hazy dis
lance, for we have them right here
On the redirect examination, might also ask
why we should go away fifty miles in order to
ride a make-believe horse in the merry GO
round, when we can stay at home and ride in
the voluptuous bob-tail for Eve cents2 To ride
in bobtail car is to teach one how small he is
and what an Insignificant atom he is on the face
of the earth. He may leave the pulpit or the
forum with the applause or the multitudes still
ringing in his ears. but when he enters the bob
tail he sinks his identity and becomes plain
American citizen with another American citizen
standing each of his feet.
He need not go away to Saratoga in order to
cover in the presence of hotel clerk who. in
his time, has looked through and through some
of our most eminent men. but 60 on about four
blocks down the street. He can pay five cents
to bob-rail car, and in the presence of driver
and the old man with a mouth like midnight
assassination who stands on the rear platform
and smokes a Pride of the Pest house. cigar.
If he cannot cover enough in twenty minutes to
last him six weeks he is a mighty difficult man
to please
1t is here, also, that we are thrown in contact
with the corpuleEt old lady who tries to put
nickel into the contribution box just the
starts. but who suddenly changes her mind and
deposits it in the eve of a man who has made BIZ
metalism study, but not before at such close
range.
The great speciality of the bob-tail car is to
keep its temper till you go to pay your assess
ment, and then rise up and belt you across the
brains That is the reason it is frequently
called the Belt line.
There is also less restraint on bobtail car
than at fashionable resort. Yesterday drunk
en- man, with feathers in his hair, large
mosquito bites the back Of his neck, and an
Illicit breath, leaned his weary head nv
breast and with little f1uttering sigh like a
tired child. went to sleep. He slept from about
forty rods below Spuyten Duyvil, a point
whore the county line road crosses section six.
There woke him up and gently taxing his
roguish hand out of my pocket. leaned him
over the other way. with his head against the
shoulder of an old lady who had rested big
paper bag of moist and mushy pears my knee
for two miles. and got off the car feeling as well
pleased in every way as would had been on a
long expensive excursion.
Then there was the old man who runs three
quarters of mile to catch the bob tail car, and
just he has paid his fare finds that the street
crossing be wants to get to is the one where he
got on the car, and he tries to have the money
refunded. On the bob-tail ca you can not only
ride from one point to another, but you can help
lift the car on the track and feel perfectly free
if you fat, to rest your stomach on the brake
while not While the brake is not in nse,
l mean.
thinking how she will chisel some great dry
goods emporium out of 81 cents worth of sam
pies. and who gets off the car forgetting her
baby, which is asleep on the seat. She always
rides in a bob-tail car, and although she fire.
quently leaves her baby the seat that way
and always wildly attacks the driver about it the
next day, and very rarely gets the baby returned
her, she does mot seem to refrain from riding
in the bob-tail car, and she never seems to run
short of children.
Some day / am going to write New York So
ciety novel called 1.-THE Flight Of the Bob-tail
Car" 1t will be full of thrilling passages, and
will contain sparkling New York dialogue which
will be good to speak in school The book will
also contain graphic description of a race be-
tween two bob-tail cars; also a chapter detailing
an attack on bob-tal at Desbrosses street,
in which the driver is forced to defend the
against band of road agents. attend to his
horse, keep his eye on the cash-box sel1 pack
ages of small change to passengers. look at the
little mirror over his head to if his hat is
straight, squirt tobacco juice spray through the
front window when running to wndward watch
for punched coins. avoid running over demon
stration. keep the boys off the platform.
watch the car for hot box. Operate brake and
invent new cuss words to shower on truck driv-
ers. The book will be full of thought and dash.
/ will supply the thought and the driver will
fu rnish the -.
have not yet decided on the plot Of the story.
All nave settled in my mind is the price.
Friends who wish to see America take a front
rank in the literary world will do well to write
me- inclosing So. BILL NYE.